PayPal Issues Since the 15th May, 2008 Upgrade

I was told that PayPal has once again been facing technical issues which happened after their 15th May, 2008 upgrade. I tell you, if there is a technical issue which you are one of the affected users, PayPal will seem extremely unhelpful. It is as if they are telling by their unwillingness to co-operate or communicate that your problem is your problem. They won't even acknowledge that there is a problem with their site.

While this time I was not affected in a major way, except that payment was late to arrive by three weeks (!), I know that some people were facing double billing, payment stuck and many other issues. Writing in to them or even making calls to the PayPal office were fruitless efforts. It was like talking to a brick wall.

This time, I think it took PayPal almost two to three weeks to resolve some of the pressing technical issues but already many of their customers are pretty frustrated with their attitude. Maybe they are getting to big for their own good that they no longer know how to communicate at a human, personal level.

When using a service like this, it is best not too keep too much cash inside and keep praying that what ever unfortunate incidents will not befall us.

Generating Buzz Through Blogs

What is more fun to do than to get paid blogging? One of the earliest companies that I joined when paid blogging started was Snapbomb. This is blog advertising company and they are one of the best to work with, no fuss and no hassle at all.

Besides the very basic one link in a 150-word post [some advertisers have different requirements] comes with a payout according to the popularity of our blog, a friend of mine told me that she managed to snag a couple of posts that paid way higher than mine. Wow... it must have been her high page rank and traffic!

Anyway, as more and more companies look towards creating buzz on blogs, I think that all of us should join in the new media revolution. The pie is large enough for all of us to share. The more effective we are, the more companies will spend money on blog marketing so it is a win-win formula.

My friend asked if we can earn a lot of money through blogging, well, all I can say is that with companies like Snapbomb around, we can make a little money on the side while blogging as usual. Just remember that Snapbomb will pay only after your post has been submitted and approved for sixty days and that you have a PayPal account to facilitate payment.

Super Fast

Some of you may remember that I bought a laptop recently. Wow, it s so hard to believe that it has been almost two months already! I am so glad that I took the advice of the sales lady and beefed up my laptop memory and now it is super fast. You know how lag the system could be if it lacks memory.

Right now, I prefer to use my laptop more than my desktop computer even though my laptop only has a 12.1" screen but my desktop computer only has 512MB of memory and it is running Windows XP. Yeah, I know I need to upgrade but I am procrastinating! Let’s see how long I can tolerate the slow speed, especially when running multiple programs.

FREE Admission to MIRC SMB ICT 2008 Roadshow Ipoh

If you are in Ipoh and if you have been contemplation venturing into ecommerce but do not have an idea how, or if you are already in ecommerce but would like to gain further knowledge, you are in luck.

The MIRC SMB ICT 2008 Roadshow, which is MCA's non-profit concern, will be in Ipoh on 5th June, 2008 [Thursday] in Syuen Hotel, Ipoh. Events are scheduled from 9am until 1pm.

Some of the highlights include:
1. All You Need To Know About Online Payment
2. Doing e-Commerce At No Cost!
3. How to Start My Business Through eBay
4. SME Funding Forum: Funding Application Procedures & Qualifying Materials

I think it's a great initiative that the MCA is taking to empower us with the knowledge to venture into ecommerce. Doing so, many more people, especially women, can earn money from the comforts of their home and raise children without having to depend on maids, contribute financially to and raising the living standard of the family.

It just beats me why this event is held on a Thursday morning when most of us are at work. We want to attend such an event so that we can work at home, earn from home and not have to work in an office.

Perhaps they should think about the time their future events are scheduled! But it certainly is a commendable effort. For more information and the agenda that has been planned, visit the website of MIRC - MCA ICT Resource Centre.

25% Off VS The Miracle Bra Swimwear

I received an email update from Victoria’s Secret yesterday about a sale they are running on their Miracle Bra swimwear and being curious, I checked out what these Miracle Bras actually are, even though I don’t know how to swim. I tell you, over these past two months, I have received about twenty, at least, emails from Victoria’s Secret touting their swim wear and I have never regretted as much about not knowing how to swim.

Anyway, from what I see, their Miracle Bra swimwear is actually like those removable bra pads that we know of. Just that this one is in a swim suit. HHmm I know my sister had an Ogilvy swimsuit that had a similar kind of removable bra pads as well.

Eh… go swimming also need to “PUSH UP” and create a fake cleavage effect meh?? If there’s a need for you to do so, the good news is that Victoria’s Secret is holding a sale on these Miracle Bra Swimwear but this offer of 25% discount on selected styles is only good until 28th May, 2008.

Getting Alerts On Mortgage News

My sister told me that her friends are all rather jittery about their finances because of rising living costs and daily expenses. I am sure everyone knows that the economy is not doing too well but when you are saddled with a mortgage, it’s rather worrisome.

Whether you have already bought a house or are thinking of buying one but not sure WHEN exactly to buy it, you should check mortgage news for the latest in the housing and mortgage industries. When my sister was planning to buy a house, she was keeping tabs on mortgage rate news every week to try to get the best rates as far as possible.

There are many mortgage websites that you can check on, or subscribe to their mailing list. You could even set an alert to email you whenever subprime mortgage news is mentioned on a website or blog, for example. Buying a home is no child’s play and much research has to be done before making such a long term commitment!

Summer Dresses

Summer is coming soon and when I saw this summer dress, I really feel like wearing it because it looks so cheery and breezy. Knowing me, though, I will buy it but end up not wearing it because it is too sexy for me! Hehe!

The other day, my friend KNITTED a summer dress. Gosh, can you believe it? I would like to learn to knot as well but where got time lah? I would rather buy and I would not have the fear that my thread will unravel. Haha!

You know what, this fabric that you can see on this screenshot would make a great cloth bag as well but I am not a bag person at all. Oh, I just love the pattern and colour!

Gold Price Remains Stable

My sister told me that even with the sluggish economy in the United States, no thanks to the rising gas prices, many of her friends, who received the Economic Stimulus Checks thought that it would still be a good idea to buy gold at this point.

While a check of US$600 for a single person and US$1200 per couple and an additional of US$300 per child, investing this money in gold, I was told, is like buying insurance. It looks like gold price has remained stable despite the economic downturn and in fact the price is even rising steadily.

The good thing about gold investments in modern times is that unlike last time, we no longer have to fork out a huge amount of money, which many of us working people are not able to do. Now, we can invest as little or as much as we could afford. To find out more about gold investments, check out the website of Monex Deposit Company [MDC].

Redecorate My Room

The other day, I wrote about latex flowers and plastic flowers but my friend, who read my posts, told me that the in thing now are silk flowers. Mine you, these flowers are not made of silk, though they are called such. I learnt that they are still artificial flowers but they look way real that plastic flowers, but of course, and even latex flowers.

As you know, I have always wanted to keep plants at home, WITHOUT the work associated with being a green thumb, like watering, pruning and fertilizing. Ah... I am so lazy and I don't even have the time for added responsibilities.

However, now that I know about silk plants, I'd probably have the excuse to redecorate my room again! Yay!

Hotmail Ate My Email

I probably wrote this before some time back but for the past week, I noticed that on three occasions email that were supposed to come in, did not. I was expecting an email alert of a private message in a forum. I told my friend, the owner, that I did not get it and that she should check her settings to see if everything is in order.

Then on another occasion, I was expecting an email notification from the Support section of a website. Well, it never came; thank God I logged in to check. And the third time it happened was when I received a new private message on Facebook but I was not alerted of it by email, which I have set it to send me alerts when there are new messages.

It is so strange. I thought that the issue lies with Outlook Express which I use to retrieve my emails. As you know, Microsoft mentioned that they will be discontinuing the service of retrieving email via Outlook Express, though because of our outcry, they have decided to allow the service to continue.

Anyway, just to be sure, I logged into my Hotmail [Windows Live] account to see if somehow the messages landed in my Inbox but only failed to be transmitted to my Outlook Express. No such luck. So yeah, Hotmail really did eat my email.

I Need To Get My Life Insurance

I'm terribly guilty of procrastinating. I know I have mentioned time and again that I need to buy life insurance but I have yet to even find out life insurance rates. I know I should. From what I understand, the older we are, the higher our premium will be. So yeah, I need to get in early.

First though, I have to get a friend to recommend me a good insurance agent. Surprisingly, I have lots of friends but none who are in the insurance industry. Those who worked in insurance only took it as a stepping stone and not a career choice.

Hmmm this has got to be top priority as I intend to get it settled before the end of the year.

eBay International Site Visibility

eBay UK recently launched a site visibility feature where Sellers or eBay UK and Ireland could opt to list their items automatically for a small fee on eBay US and other eBay premium sites at a small fee without having to log into these sites to list these items manually.

Well, I think that this is a great feature and is too long in coming. You know, they should have provided this a long time ago; after all, cross listing is how some of us managed to sell our items to our international buyers.

Understandably, eBay's concern is to gain profit, yet protect both buyers and sellers and try to make the site as friendly as possible with 0% fraud and I am sure they have thought about all technical aspects before opening international site visibility to their Sellers in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Let's hope that before long, we here in Malaysia would get to list our items internationally with as little hassle as possible.

Ron Bongo's Open Source Blog

Being a blogger is great as I get to know of so many different subjects and people in leading industries. A few months ago, I wrote a post on Ronald Bongo, the Chief Executive Officer of Corra Technology a company that develops open source solutions.

Today, I chanced upon his blog. I have already said that every company needs its own blog, didn't I? It provides for a friendlier environment for interaction between the staff and clients.

Although Ron Bongo's blog is not as regularly updated as it should be, I think that it would still provide and informative and interesting read for anyone who would like to gain extra knowledge on the open source industry. Well, as for me, I try to stay as far away from technology as possible!

Auctiva's New Free Features

It has been a while since I wrote anything positive about eBay. Well, this post is not specifically about eBay but about the ease of selling on eBay, thanks to the newly launched features of Auctiva.

Here are the new features that you can get from Auctiva.

FREE Auto-Relisting
FREE Billing System
FREE Consignment Auto-Emails
FREE Education Tab
FREE Inventory

While I have been a member of Auctiva for years, since I started selling actively on eBay, registration is free, by the way, I have to admit that my account is seriously underutilised because I am lazy.

However, now that they have an auto-relisting and consignment auto emails, I will perhaps start to explore these features more deeply. Selling online, especially if you are a big volume seller, could be tedious and repetitive.

Are you an Auctiva member and are you already using these brand new free features?

Seeking Guidance From Branding & Identity Gurus

The other day, I was chatting with my friend about the possibility of expanding my lingerie business and he asked me what brand do I want to use and I said, "Cyberpartygal" and he said that this is not a good brand name.

He said that branding is very important in marketing as a good brand name should reflect our product(s), whatever we plan to sell and Cyberpartygal does not reflect anything at all. When people talk about Cyberpartygal, others cannot envision what product it represents.

I have to admit that he is right, although I plan on having Cyberpartygal as the trademark with Collections of lingerie with other sexier names that DO represent lingerie. Of course, these are all just preliminary discussions with friends to get their feedback.

I was thinking that if I could just pay a little money to a reputable branding and marketing company, I don’t have to worry about this aspect of business. Of course, I will still provide input, feedback and make the final decisions but as a young entrepreneur, I certainly need help and guidance from branding and marketing Gurus to carve an identity of my product in the lingerie market.

But first, I have to look for a designer since I can’t draw to save my life.

Are You Looking For Discount Disney Tickets?

A friend promised to take me to Disney World for a holiday if I visit him in Florida. Wow, I certainly would like to take up her offer of a local tour guide! She told me that visiting Disney World won’t cost too much because of the discount Disney World tickets that she could obtain.

I was curious how many times she has visited Disney World and she said too many times to count. Although she could buy her theme park entrance tickets at the door she said that all seasoned visitors usually would have bought tickets from online ticket sellers like Orlando Fun Tickets.

Beside the fact that these are discount tickers, hence cheaper, buying online means that they do not have to queue up at the gate to wait to get in. The queue and the crowd could be terrible especially during the holiday season!

Welcome!

Recently, I went to almost all the stores in Kinta City and Ipoh Parade and I noticed something. Each time I stepped into the store, I was greeted with "WELCOME". HHmm it was pretty odd. What do you reply to WELCOME? Thank you? But I was just there to ask if they do have leather laptop backpacks and had no intention to purchase anything at all if they do not have the laptop backpack that I want. That’s why it was pretty awkward.

I think that these stores must have received directive from the managements of the malls to greet their customers with WELCOME. For most these sales boys and girls, their command of the English language stops there. So even if you may be greeted with the word WELCOME, it does not mean that you will be understood when you ask them a question in English following the WELCOME greeting.

Mobile Scam

This afternoon, my brother received a text message on his DiGi mobile number which was written in Malay congratulating him that he won RM15,000 and free credit of RM250. He was told that to claim his prize, he has to call the number provided. That number was an international number, so long that I was lazy to count how many digits it has. Anything from 12 – 16 because of the international and country codes.

While I know that this is a scam, I wonder how they could scam people of cash. Do the victims get sweet-talked so much that they willingly part with money that they will transfer over to the bank accounts of these scammers? If so, these scammers must be pretty powerful in their mind games.

Anyone who had received such an email will become pretty excited because it is RM15000! But then after a while, if the target has read about these cases on the internet or in the newspapers, he or she will know that these are just mobile scam messages.

Are You Looking For A Car Radiator?

If you are, then you may want to check out Radiator.com. I got to know of this website about a year ago and from what I understand, this website is one of the largest online stores that specialize in car radiators.

If you browse their website, I am sure you will be as impressed as I am with the database of radiators they have for almost all type of cars. Yes, I was impressed even though I do not own a car!

Just for fun, I did check out if there was a Mustang Radiator available for my friend’s old Ford Mustang that he is currently refurbishing and sue enough, Radiator.com has it.

On top of that, Radiator.com has physical stores all over North America so even if you are shopping for your car radiator online, you most probably can receive your radiator quickly if they are shipping within your city. I wonder if they also provide installation services.

Economic Stimulus Checks

My sister told me that she has received her economic stimulus check for US$600. My, that is a lot of bonus money, I tell you. Under the Economic Stimulus plan of the government of the United States, 2008 sees 130 million people or households receiving at least US$300 is tax rebates.

For single people like my sister, US$600 is maximum amount. For couples filing jointly, they can receive up to US$1200 per couple and up to US$300 per child. So you can imagine, if you have five children then you can receive US$2700 just by doing NOTHING.

What about the Duggar family? They have 17 children at this time of writing. Does it mean that if they do qualify, they will receive US$6300?

I am not sure if this move could really stimulate the economy because most people I know who qualify for this and received their checks will usually put the money towards their car installment or home mortgage repayment.

I was just telling my sister that if there is such an economy stimulus exercise here in Malaysia, I would, unfortunately, not qualify for it. Heh... and it is not even because I am earning too much!

Father's Day Is Coming Soon

Yeah, so have you planned anything for Father’s Day? Celebrations like Mother’s Day and Father's Day are always welcomed. Retailers make brisk sales during these times, and also during Valentine's Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, just to name a few.

However, as a lingerie seller myself, I can forget about Father’s Day! I guess even if I do sell men’s underwear, hhmm nobody would buy them just for Father’s Day. Don’t you think so? Even for Mother’s Day, I do not see a particular spike in sales. But I do admit that sales go higher prior to Valentine’s Day and strangely, just before Chinese New Year. Maybe there are people who love receiving underwear for Chinese New Year tee hee!

So it really depends on what you sell to see if you could capitalize on a particular celebration or holiday. If you are looking for Father’s Day gift ideas then it won’t be a wise move coming to my WebStore. Hehe!

Improved VoIP Voice Systems

I was surprised to learn the other day that there are still people who are not using VoIP voice system in their office. Some people think that the quality would be low or that the line would drop. Well, they should know that VoIP phone systems have improved so much since the early days.

No longer will you have to deal with low voice quality or getting cut off the line numerous times in a short telephone conversation BUT it will be no different than direct phone call except that it does not come with a high bill!

For those of you who still have not switched over to VoIP phone system, you should check out the website of Xpander Communications. Of course, they would be able to explain the whole concept of VoIP phone systems better than I ever could, because I only know how to use!

Appreciating Fine Handcrafted Jewelry

People who know me know that I am not someone who wears too much accessories. However, this does not mean that I do not appreciate them. I especially like handcrafted designer jewelry though.

The other day, my friend asked me if I would willingly pay more for a piece of handcrafted jewelry that is one of a kind. Well, I do think that handcrafted items, whether they are jewelry or something else, if they are handmade, then we should pay more for them!

Craft work is a skill that we should appreciate. If we don't then by all means, we should just purchase something that had been manufactured in a factory in bulk where you can get copies of the same item at very reasonable prices.

Last week, I had the opportunity to visit a friend who makes wire jewelry at home and sell them on the internet. I was very impressed with her creativity and her show of artistic talent on small piece of wire jewelry! I am glad that there are so many people who appreciate it too judging from the brisk sales she is doing.

La Senza Clearance Sale

It's not often that I manage to catch a clearance sale of either La Senza or Victoria's Secret so it is definitely good news to me and fans of La Senza that they are holding a clearance sale right now on selected sleepwear, lingerie and robes before the new summer season kicks in.

I went to the La Senza website to check what they have in store for us in the clearance section and I am delighted to find that we can buy babydolls, camidolls, chemise, satin slips, camis and even full length gowns for under CAD20.

But their really do have limited designs only so if you are interested, you really have to be quick in placing an order with them.

Roofing Choices

I remember when my friend told me that he is building a large family home, I asked him if he would be opting for a solar powered roof and he said no. He gave me a very technical explanation on why it will not be a viable choice at this point in time. Well, engineers are like that when you talk to them. They have to be technical all the time!

Well, this morning, he told me that he has decided on metal roofing. He said that this would be a better choice as it is more economical, environmentally friendly and safe and maintenance cost is almost zero.

According to my friend, metal roofing MAY sound unappealing but there are many different styles and colors to suit the home owner’s needs.

Free Picture Gallery Summer 2008 eBay UK & eBay IE

If you are an eBay seller on eBay UK or eBay IE (Ireland) then here's good news for you. This Summer, eBay is offering free picture gallery for all sellers selling on eBay.co.uk or eBay.ie. Of course, there swill be terms and conditions to meet so you will have to read further to see that your particular items are eligible for this offer.

I think that this is an amazing offer, surprisingly very generous of eBay to offer free picture gallery for such a long period of time: from 19th May to 30th September, 2008.

I mean, this has never happened before, as long as I am awe and if there were free gallery offers like these, they only lasted 24 - 48 hours and that is too short a time to bother, really.

This time, we are getting something like NINE weeks and that is just too good to pass up! For more information, read this announcement: http://www2.ebay.com/aw/uk/200805091247502.html

Professional Moving Services

I was catching up on old times with a friend whom I recently reestablished our friendship on FaceBook. She told me that since leaing school, she has been travelling a lot that she misses home-cooked food.

While I envy her for the opportunities to see the different places that she has been to, she told me that she is getting fed up of the hassle of moving, especially when the children came along.

Well, if she is heading towards Boston, i would definitely tell her about Humbolt, a Boston moving company who would be able to handle everything necessary in a relocation.

Although I have never moved long distance before, I could certainly understand the stress. if I were her, I would leave everything to a professional moving and storage company while I just supervise and ensure that my personal effects go in one piece and arrive in one piece too!

Victoria's Secret Semi Annual Sale Is Back

Well, what a great time it is to shop online. This happens when there are great deals on the internet, especially with Victoria's Secret leafing the way.

Like the title of my post says, the Semi-Annual sale event that Victoria's Secrets hold twice a year s back. This time, you have to enter the coupon code SEMISALE at checkout.

I don’t know about you but I hardy ever shop online because I always wait for sales This round, you can buy selected Victoria's Secret bras at 255 - 50%. That's a high discount there!

Make Money In The Philippines

I am sure that if you have been following my blog, you will know that I advocate working from home and best of all, making money online. That is just about the best job in the world. However, there are not many people who have found successes in making money online who would willingly share their secrets of success. I know I had to learn most of the stuff myself by trial and error too.

But then there would be blogs like Make Money In The Philippines who would gladly share money making ventures with us, especially people who live in the Philippines. I have to say that this blog is very, very new with only three articles BUT this is a site to bookmark and subscribe to its feed if you are in the Philippines and want to be a serious Philippine Money Maker, earning an income at home, or best of all, making money on the internet just with your computer and an internet connection.

Although the target readership of this blog is on people in the Philippines, this does not mean that information here will not be applicable to people living elsewhere. In fact, if you can make an income online, you can do it wherever you live, whether you are living in the Philippines or in Thailand, for example.

In any case, if you would like to expand your revenue sources, check out Philippines Money Maker. I am sure you will be inspired with ideas to be your own boss and make money at home.

RealRewards RM7 Real Deals Promotion

Guess what? I just received a newsletter from KadMesra/RealRewards of a new RM7 promotion which begins on 19th May, 2008 tell you what... they have been so silent for so many months now, except for the monthly Kad Mesra newsletter that I thought they had closed shop. Seriously!

I was curious to see what they have that are selling at RM7 ONLY so I went to their website... only to realise that this promotion starts on 19th May, 2008. That's this coming Monday. Urgh!!!

Anyway, since I was there, I just casually browsed through what they have in store and I have to say that what they have are actually nothing special. I don't see what I have to buy form them and wait for the item to be delivered to me when I could buy it at a store near me.

Let's hope that their range of RM7 products would be more interesting.

Folding Bikes For Under US$300

People who know me know that I am a fan of portability. Everything I buy has to be small, foldable, portable, mini or travel-size. I guess it is because I travel so much, I hate the extra weight.

Just now, I was delighted when told of these folding bikes by DownTube. I have always wanted to buy one of these after watching a documentary on how a guy travelled the world on a bike, a folding bike, and how convenient it was and compact that he could fit the bike wherever. He could carry it easily because it was small when folded and light too. And when he hitch-hiked, he could easily tuck his bike into the trunk of cars of good Samaritans who gave him a ride.

I showed a picture of this folding bike to a friend of mine who rode his racer from our hometown in Malaysia to the UK back in the 1980s and he said that if only he had such a bike during his excursion, it would have been a more pleasant experience.

I am glad to note that we could purchase a decent folding bike by DownTube for under $300, now that they are on sale. These bikes are really worth having especially if you are an outdoor person.

New eBay Feedback Policy For North America

If you haven't heard or read yet, eBay is rolling out a new feedback system beginning 19th May, 2008. For the time being, while the see how well this new feedback is received by the community, this will only affect North American markets, mainly eBay.com and eBay.ca

I have read through the changes and I don’t know how well it could be put into practice but I know that eBay is trying hard to be transparent in all transactions, curb fraud and create a balance and fair treatment for both the buying and selling parties.

With this new feedback system, PowerSellers will receive extra protection since they have already passed through stringent checks to be awarded PowerSeller status.

To get an in-depth idea of what changes will be in place with this new feedback system on eBay North America beginning 19th May, 2008, check this announcement page:
http://www2.ebay.com/aw/core/200805.shtml#2008-05-07090115

Exuding Elegance

When it comes to buying a luxury timepiece, some people see it as an investment. Did you know that some of these luxury watches could go up to five figures? Well, they come with a certificate of authentication and the shocking thing is that even the value of watches could rise!

Just now, I was checking out the website of ViaLuxe. My friend was on the market for chopard watches and he wanted an opinion.

I find that ViaLuxe, like most websites of luxury watches, exudes an air of class. I must mention that although brown is my least favorite color, ViaLuxe, which has a primarily brown layout, has managed to blend the shades of brown elegantly. The site looks “rich” if I may say so.

I should mention that ViaLuxe is not an online store that sells jewelry or timepieces but a resource site where you can read about the various brandnames, share reviews, find watch dealers and make friends with other fans or owners of luxury watches.

As someone who will only own at most three watches simultaneously, I never knew that there are so many different kinds of Chopard watches. Browse by collection, or by style, by gender and/or usage. You can do this easily by accessing the links on the sidebar. For a quick review, just VIEW ALL. I am an impatient person and VIEW ALL is always the best for me.

Do You Or Don't You Want An Online Store?

Some of my friends, who know that I run an ecommerce store, always tell me that they want an online business as well. I think this has got to be the second most common statement that I hear from people, the other one being, "Do you wear your own lingerie stocks?"

Well, I think I have been in business for two years or more and since the beginning till now, I see these people who keep telling me so but they did nothing about it.

I mean, if you want it, do it, right? There's no point saying that you want it but do nothing about it. The store won't fall at your feet or anything like that. But then, there are some people who talk and there are some people who do.

The Little Surprises

One thing that I did not anticipate when I started an online business two years ago was the friendships that I would forge with my buyers. Sure, there are some who would buy, and not inform me when they have received the item, and then buy again later when I have new stocks.... I take that to mean that they ARE satisfied with their purchases.

And then there are some who are warmer and who would think of me when there is a big occasion in the family. it may not be a big deal to some people when they receive wedding, birthday and party invitations but you have to remember, these are just virtual people who have bought an item or two from me.

It touches me that they do remember me and think of me when it matters!

Victoria's Secret Summer Sale

HHmmm I received this notification from Victoria's Secret about their on-going Summer Sale early yesterday morning. I am sorry for the delay in posting it on my blog, but it is still ON, so there's nothing to worry about. My emails come in so quickly the important ones get buried under.

Anyway, during this Summer Sale you can buy Victoria’s Secret bra tops from $15 and Victoria's Secret bra top dresses from $29. Whether these are reasonable enough or not depends on how you look at it.

And I would like to inform you that should you require my help in purchasing anything [nothing illegal, OK] from any foreign online stores, just let me know. I will proceed with the shopping once your payment is cleared into my local bank.

Wheeee don't I just love shopping!

A Career In Flying

My friend just left for Brunei last evening and boy, I really am envious of him. I told him so and he said that there is nothing to be envious about because he is paying for all those trips that he has been taking! On the other hand, flight attendants and pilots are the one whom we should be envious of because they get paid to do the job that we all would love to have: get pad to travel! He is right!

If I had attended a flight attendant school, I would be flying daily already but I know that it is not as if everyone who wants a flight attendant career could have it. If only life is that simple.

Anyway, I’m already over aged. However, if you have an ambition to be a flight attendant, then you must bookmark the flight attendant blog and read it regularly. This is the blog that you should read as they share tips and information on being a flight attendant and making it as a career!

If You Are Planning To Sell Your Endowment Policy

How many people do you know who at one time or another, were at one time or another, in a financial fix and had to sell their endowment policies? Well, I do know a handful of people who thought that the quickest way to get their hands on some fast cash is to sell their endowment policies.

Well, selling endowment policies is not a bad move if the seller could find a good price for his policy. However, from the experiences of my friends, when they were forced to sell, because they needed the cash, they were unable to find a buyer who would pay them a good price.

This will be a thing of the past now that we know of this company called Endowment Express. If you are thinking of selling your endowment policy, then you must check them out at their website at http://www.endowmentexpress.co.uk. What they do is to match sellers of endowment policies with the right buyers, buyers who would be willing to pay you what your endowment policy is really worth and not try to depress your selling price just because they know that you are in need of cash.

Although at the moment I do not know of anyone who plans to sell his endowment policy, it is good to know of this option that we could explore should this need arises.

Strict Dieting

I was telling a friend how I sometimes feel like I am so fat and that I should do something about it but I never do. She said that I am "just right" currently and that I used to be too skinny like I was a famine victim or was just released from a drug rehab center. SIGH.. there must be something wrong with her eyes or maybe there is something wrong with my mind.

In any case, I am more careful with my diet now since I know that I cannot spare the time to exercise and whatever is put on is easy but when it come to taking off the excess weight, it will not be easy at all! But I wonder why some people never seem to get fat no matter how much they eat.

Victoria's Secret Summer Dresses LAGI

Yesterday morning, yet again, I received a promotional email from, Victoria's Secret touting their summer dresses. I swear that I have received a similar mailer from them for the tenth time already! Even if they did not send the same to me ten times, it feels so!

The only thing preventing me from crying, "SPAM!" is because of the beautiful models and Victoria's Secret range of products. But I do wish that they will not send me the same promotions over and over again!

I think that they should have a tracker where they can say that since I did not buy anything after getting their offer, I now stand to enjoy even greater savings. Wow, that would be awesome and that would also mean that nobody will buy anything from them the first time round!

Make Money With Your Blog

The other day, I wrote about how you can make money online by writing articles and submitting them to a knowledge website. Well, if you have a blog, it is easier to make money.

I am not sure if you already know about paid blogging but there's this company, BloggerWave, that is aiming to be Europe's leading blog advertising marketplace that is helping bloggers make money by matching them with companies that are looking to get the word out about their brand, product, service or website.

If you have a blog, then this is a good opportunity to make money while blogging as usual. My friend commented that this is not going to last but I beg to differ.

Not Resorting To Diet Pills

My friend says that I complain too much about my weight. According to him, I am not fat at all but I tell him that he can't see the fat with clothes on. He says that if this is what I call fat, then I must have been really skinny before he met me. Well, not THAT skinny but just how I like it to be. Those were the days!

No matter how I complain, though, I will never resort to diet pills. I know, and I have read, that some pills are really effective but pills are not for me. I will NEVER remember to take them regularly and on time.

Even when I had to take medication or supplement, I would keep forgetting. I don't know what it is with me, I have to write little notes everywhere, sticking them on my desks, the toilet door, on my phone alert and online alert too. And yet.... I really am hopeless, eh?

Buy Flowers, Buy Wholesale Flowers

I am someone who would rather buy something more if it is cheaper. That was why when my friend asked me if I know where to buy flowers for Mother's Day, I did. hehe! My friend wanted to surprise her Mother with a very large bouquet of flowers.

While I think that the money for flowers, even if she is buying wholesale flowers, hence cheaper, could be used on something more practical than flowers, like going to a good restaurant, or a holiday trip, my friend begs to differ. I understand that she is looking at the shock factor here. I hope her mom would see it in the same light.

Fifty Flowers is the place to check out if you are buying wholesale flowers. You can get wholesale roses or any other species at a huge discount. If you fancy fresh wholesale rose petals because you are thinking of getting a rose bath, you can get them from Fifty Flowers too. Cute, eh?

Victoria's Secret Swim Wear Sale

Here's good news to everyone who can swim. [I am outta here!] Victoria's Secret sent me an email yesterday morning informing me of their swimwear sale. Well, summer is coming soon and it's time to get new swimwear. May I ask what happen to last year's?

I checked out what they have and the are having discounts of up to 40% on selected swim wear styles. the good thing about buying bikinis, as opposed to one-piece swimsuits is that you can pick your top and bottom sizes separately.

For instance, you can be a Medium at the top but a Small at the bottom. So bikinis come in two pieces and Victoria's Secret allows you to match your own sizes. You can't buy different patterns, though! LOL

It's Happy Bunny Sleep Shirts - S & M To Go

If you have been following my online sale, you would know that I have THREE It's Happy Bunny sleep shirts, one each per size, Small, Medium and Large. Well, I have finally sold the Large piece and there are still two more to go. One is Small and one is Medium.

The buyer, Julia, has a blog too and I love it when my buyers blog about it when they have received their items. I find total satisfaction when they are very happy with their purchases.

Julia's blog, Honey Shakes, or as she calls it; "Madu Goncang" is VERY cute. I love her blog and the things she collects. I love cute stuff too and I told myself that I need a cabinet to keep my stuff! But first, I would need my own house!

If you are looking for It's Happy Bunny sleep shirts, remember, I only have Small and Medium now. Hurry before it's too late. I'm only selling it at MYR40. I believe that you can find this on the web selling at MYR60, from foreign apparel stores.

Hassle-free NOD32 Renewals

Some people are of the opinion that only the computer networks of large companies need software security but they can't be more wrong. No matter how large or small a company is, if there is a computer system in place, it would be vulnerable to threats.

Even if you are an individual home user, you are also doing yourself a favor by implementing adequate security solutions. If you are using NOD32, then you will be happy to know that NOD32 renewals are hassle-free and could be done online.

However, if you would like to increase or decrease the number of computers to protect, you would have to give them all phone call. Still, it would not be too much of trouble! Check out the phone number to call from the website of Software Security Solutions.

Bidz.com Security Alert

Are you a registered member of Bidz.com? If you are, you may want to read this. Bidz.com just sent out a security notice to us informing that they have been alerted of phishing mail purportedly from Bidz.com

These emails will tell you that you have a chance to purchase items that are listed on Bidz.com but you do not have to place your bids. you can just make payment directly to them via Western Union and/or request your financial information.

If you received such an email, do forward it in its entirely including its header to legal@bidz.com and do not click on any links that are in the email. If you did click on it by accident, do at the first instance, change your passwords!

Camel Laptop Backpack

A couple of days ago, I was out shopping and I went to the luggage department of one of the malls here. I even forgot which one! Hah! Anyway, I spotted this Camel laptop backpack which I thought looks pretty good. However, I showed these pictures to a few friends and they all tell me that it looks ugly!

How can??? What I like about it is all the pockets and buckles. I have so many small things to keep that I need pockets. The more the merrier hehehe. The thing I don’t like about it is that the canvas is rather thick and the bag is heavy by itself, what more after placing my personal effects inside?

Also, this bag is rather large for me and it is just too bad that it’s not water proof. When you want to use a laptop backpack for your laptop and especially in Malaysia when the weather is bad most days, getting a waterproof bag is definitely a good investment! Do you know how much this bag is? MYR270 or somewhere there! Is it worth it??

Shopping Around Comparing Prices

There's this friend whom I got to know through my online selling activities, invited me to join his paintball team. I have always wanted to play paintball but not seriously. Living in Ipoh, I feel the lack of opportunities, even in something as simple as sports so it would be tough to travel to and fro KL to participate in paintball training and tournaments.

Also, I find that paintball equipment is really not something cheap! My friend told me that he wanted to buy an invert mini paintball gun and that it costs a few hundred dollars and I was shocked!

I remember about the paintball online store called Zephyr Paintball and told him to better check with them. At least he would get to compare prices! Being a typical guy, I know that he would buy what he wants from the first store he comes across! LOL

Too Good To Resist

My friend chided me for registering YET another domain nae. Well, it's too good to resist when I found that Blig Blogging was not yet registered, or perhaps it has already expired, that I just had to register it in my name lah! What to do?

I am afraid that I will end up with so many domain names that I even forget my own URLs, user ID and passwords. I hope that day never comes!

My aim for this new blog is to get that traffic. It's not easy when it comes to building blogs. I have so many blogs that some do not get traffic at all but I do not mind because I don't do any networking at all.

With this one, I really would like to put some time in building it!

What's New At La Senza?

New lingerie, of course! I received this mailer yesterday evening and just had tome to check out the new items. Boy, I love pink and how did they know? This new items are for La Senza's new Love range, like Love, Kylie.

They are not too expensive but when you want to buy a set, that is the killer. Also, remember, prices are in Canadian Dollars and you have need to include international shipping. Humph! It definitely will not be cheap!

Well, you can always come shop with me. Prices are in MYR and almost could guarantee you “next day delivery”. Try me out, will ya?

Value For Money Used Engines & Transmissions

I may not own a car but that doe snot mean that I am absolutely clueless when it comes to car parts and engines, you know? I am after all, a shopper, and shoppers KNOW where to get the best deals!

If you are looking for used car engines and transmissions, then you are in luck because I know that midwest auto recycling, inc. is the specialist when it comes to these!

And if you worry about not getting a good deal from them, rest assure that MidWest Auto Recycling has double checked all their car engines and transmissions first before selling them again. Besides, these come with warrant so what are you afraid of, right? You can always claim your warranty if necessary! I believe it would we hard pressed to find a company which would give us value for money for used cars engines and transmissions!

Making Money Online - Best Job in The World

Many of my friends, who were active bloggers, have moved on to other online activities that would help them make money online. Well, that's the best job in the world, if you ask me. We get to stay home and work at hours that are convenient to us. We get to sleep in as much as well like, watch TV, play computer games, or just carry along our laptop where ever we like to work.

On the other hand, I still have my store and I can't move away for too long because I need stocks on hand if I receive an enquiry, like measurements and sizes and I would need to pack and ship out these items so don't tell me I have to carry my lingerie everywhere I go? LOL

But then, right now, from the experiences of my friends, they do make money from the web still, even without writing as many buzz posts but I feel that the time spent versus revenue is not viable. However, it's a long term residual investment so it's quite worth it if you think long term.

I may follow their footsteps if nothing better crops up. We shall see.

Opportunities For Writers To Make Money Online

I found this opportunity for writers to make money and I thought that it would be perfect for bloggers. It's a Paid Article Submission job where you will be given a topic and key phrases to write on and the article needs to be a minimum of 350 words. I think this should not be a problem for us bloggers, right?

Payment is $5 per approved article submitted and payment cycle is monthly via PayPal. So this means that this opportunity is open to international writers. However, unlike blogging, writing articles would require the writer to have an excellent command of the English language and there is a fixed format to follow. Are you up to it?

Lingerie Warranty

The other day, I received an email from someone who contacted me via the store. This lady asked me if my lingerie comes with warranty. Well, that made me laugh till I shed tears. I mean, what sort of warranty was she looking for?

It's not as if that lingerie is something that would last a lifetime. Lingerie is lingerie and it's the same as what you would get from the real brick-n-mortar stores. Do you get your warranty for lingerie there? Not that I know of!

Besides, lingerie is only RM20 on the average and if it's torn, it's just RM20 gone. You can let me know about it and show me proof that it was torn after a wash or two and perhaps I could do something about your next purchase.

just like the issue with the colours running, there's nothing much I could do, you know? I don't wash these items before selling so I would not know!

Keeping Passwords Safely and Securely

Recently, my friend's account at one of the websites was hacked. She was told that she should not have given her password to anyone. Huh.. they think that she's stupid or something. The problem is that my friend was not the only one who got her account hacked.

I think that there must have been a leaked over at the office of this company that manages this website! Or else, how come the accounts of a few members were hacked and the hacker changed the password, personal details and payment information of these accounts?

I think that the company should realize that the problem lies on their side and not accuse everyone of compromising on their passwords. They would use password vault or something to keep every one's passwords and personal information safe, instead!

Touch N Go Card Activation

I tried to activate my new Touch N Go card yesterday via the Touch N Go website and I was told that I would need to wait 24 hours and that they will inform me by email.

I was made to fill out an extremely long form providing them with plenty of information, which I do not know what they need them in the first place because it's just TOUCH N GO, you know?

Anyway, it's just about 24 hours already since the activation process and I am still waiting to hear from them. Whoa... just imagine if I had to use it today and it is still inactive. Then I would have wasted money on the card!

Mobile Number Portability Part 2

It's almost mid-2008 now and I am still waiting for Mobile Number Portability [MNP] to be implemented in Malaysia, as we were promised. I am so looking forward to it because I am dying to change to Maxis from Celcom. I don't know if it would be a wise decision but I do not like the fact that I am forced to use at least RM50 in voice calls every month even when I do not want to call anyone at all.

The problem with Celcom is that they do not allow rollover of monthly balances and it is very costly to let them keep deducting our balances. That's why I end up with a RM200 bill monthly!

With Maxis, they do allow rollover of balance but only up to a certain limit but that is still better than what Celcom has. I also need to change to Maxis mobile internet. I hope to get a decent package. But first... WHEN IS MOBILE NUMBER PORTABILITY COMING????

Longing For A Family Vacation

It's been an awfully long time since we had a family vacation. Well, since my sister went to the United States! I know that I have been working too hard that I neglected my family and I feel bad about that.

Actually, I wanted to plan a family vacation for the end of this year, and right now, I am still calculating my budget! It's not going to be cheap but then it's not even an annual event so I guess we could spare it if only to spend some quality time together without the distractions of work!

I believe that if that place that we go to like the Riviera Maya Resort, I would not even miss my gadgets and won't mind getting offline for a longer period of time. It would be awesome if my sister could join us as well!

Thinking Out Of The Box

I really love to check out new companies and read how it all started. I have dreams to set up my own company, you see, and I wonder if it is better to go it alone or to collaborate with someone.

These two ladies of Screen, Inc. have successfully come out with a range of sunscreen products that were especially created for teenagers. The current sunscreen protections in the market, they felt, where unsuitable for teenage skin. And I agree!

Their sunscreen, on the other hand, has received the Seal of Recommendation from the Skin Cancer Foundation. This means that they were given the thumbs up for their products for daily use on teenage skin without harmful effects at all.

In fact, these two ladies came up with the idea of protecting teenage skin on a daily basis, especially in Summer, without feeling as if the user was using sunscreen at all! I definitely would like to try it out even though I am no longer a teenager!

Ebay Misspellings

A couple of days ago, my friend was very happy. She told me that she managed to find a item that she had wanted a long time but could not make herself buy it because it was too expensive!

But recently, she managed to find the SAME thing at a fraction of the price on eBay, because the Seller made a typo on the product. From what I understood, this seller is a foreigner and I think she mixed up the spelling. LOL

My friend was in luck, though. Since no one placed any bid on the item to push up the price, my friend won the item without having to pay an outrageous price. Well, I think that if she searched so long and hard for it, she should be awarded.

I am not sure which software my friend used, or if she searched eBay manually, but she managed to get what she wants. if it were me, I certainly do not have the time nor patience to do so!

Add Color & Warmth With Shag Rugs

Every stranger who enters my house, whether he is a service man or the gas man, or even the recycling man, will surely comment that my house is large. There's this recycling man who comes by weekly to pick up our stuff for recycling and he will comment so EVERY SINGLE TIME!

I don’t think my house is that large but they have the impression that it is large because I have shag rugs in strategic places that make the rooms appear larger than normal.

I have always wanted to carpet my home but with pets that live inside the house with us, carpets, especially wall-to-wall carpeting is not practical at all. Shag rugs are great because I could use them like carpets, yet they are easy to clean. I especially love shag rugs that are colorful or have some form of pattern because these are great for adding color to the room. The added color create warmth in the room.

I recently told a friend that she could use shag rugs to create an invisible “line” between sections of rooms. These rugs could also be used to define specific areas of interest within a room. If you use shag rugs, did you know that you can even hang one up on the wall? What a beautiful piece of art it is suddenly turned into!

Something Must Be Wrong With Lelong's Messaging System

Why do I say this? There have been numerous times that I have been sent enquiries and they turned up blank in my email box. Well, surely these people who sent me the mail have a question to ask but strangely, there is NO text in the messages that I received.

I remember that this has been going on for YEARS but I brought it up today on my blog because I just received this kind of message earlier yesterday. DUH!

I think it's just a total waste of time to have to reply to these messages and tell the sender that I am not getting their messages. This is unnecessary If I had received the messages in the first instance. Don';t you think so?

I am not sure if people in Lelong know about this. I don't think they do or this issue would not have dragged on for years.